The Nature of Scorpions
by Lashworthe
Summary: Established Tony/Loki. Years after the events of The Avengers, the press catches Loki and Tony in an intimate moment. In dealing with the fall out, Loki casts himself as the monster once again to save Stark's name. But this time, he is not the only monster.


The blurry photo was on the front page of every gossip magazine around the country. TMZ had posted it hours earlier and the whole world was speculating the same question that TMZ had captioned the photo with: Was beauty really sleeping with the beast? Iron Man sleeping with devil?

Tony Stark sighed, running a hand through his hair, "Shit."

He'd mess this up. Big time. The picture was still there staring at him, and even though it was a blurry, low-quality picture you could make out enough. Tony Stark, shirtless, pinned against the wall, his wrists held firmly to the wall by Loki's hands as the god's head was ducked against his neck, teeth snapping into the prone skin there. They had been busted big time, taken totally off guard by a stupid girl with a cell phone after the Stark Expo. She'd only gotten the one picture, but that was more than enough to send the paparazzi into overdrive.

Suddenly, everyone seemed aware that Loki, god of mischief and destroyer of half of New York, was staying at the newly remodeled Stark Tower, and everyone wanted answers…or were just making the story themselves.

He sighed as Pepper's name flashed across his cell. He flinched as he picked up, "Yo Pep-"

"What were you thinking?" her voice was brisk, and he could hear phones ringing off the hook behind her. Once again, she was trying to weather another storm he'd created, "Out with him. In public? Come on Tony!"

He sighed, "Thought we were alone… come on, you know I wouldn't do anything this stupid on purpose."

"You got involved with him on purpose."

He sighed, rubbing his temples. Things had been rocky for a few months after Tony and Pepper had separated and Tony had begun just 'seeing' the god exclusively. Pepper had moved on and slowly things had gone back to normal, but she had never approved of Loki. "Tony, he's dangerous. You know he is."

"He's not the one causing this problem Pepper. You and I both know that."

Pepper sighed and he could practically hear her roll her eyes, "Alright, how are we going to fix this? You need to call a press release and we need an explanation for this."

"That I'm sleeping with him doesn't work?"

"Tony, the company is involved with a lot of conservative businesses… a lot of conservative businesses who took a big hit when Loki led an alien death parade through the city, that's asking to take a huge loss on our stocks."

He ran his hands through his hair, "Then what?"

"Deny it. The qualities low enough we could argue it's someone besides Loki."

"Oh, so now I'm making out with a random person?"

"…Tony, this is you we're talking about. They might buy it."

"Pepper, I don't think so… Loki's distinctive."

She sighed, "Okay, okay," he could hear her clicking the pen and thinking.

"I was attempting to kill you." Loki's cool voice echoed in the room and Tony looked up.

"Speaker phone JARVIS." Pepper said before her voice filled the room, "What was that?"

"I was attempting to kill the man of iron. I had pinned him down and was attempting to rip his throat out." Loki repeated, "So that I might drink his blood."

Tony rolled his eyes, "Loki, that's not-"

"Wait Tony. How do we explain your staying at the Tower?" Pepper asked.

"It is the only place secure enough to hold me. It is not susceptible to power failures and is fortified against my magic after my last arrival. It is my prison here on Midgard." Loki sat and poured himself a small glass of absinthe. He looked so calm, collected, as if he dealt with this on a daily basis. How the hell did Loki know how to handle the paparazzi?

"We could work with that," Pepper said slowly, "It's plausible. I mean… the bite isn't exactly gentle looking and you seem like you're in pain Tony… we could make it work."

Tony rubbed his temples, "Let me call you back Pepper."

"Tony, no. Don't you hang up on me, we need an answer now or-"

"Just a few minutes Pepper." Tony hung up over Pepper's protests.

"It is the most logical answer Anthony," Loki murmured from over his absinthe. He was dressed for bed in a pair of green silk pjs, looking for all the world like he had always been here, had always been a part of Tony's life.

"Loki, I don't think you understand how the paparazzi work. They're going to take whatever we give them and make it ten times worse. They'll drag you through the mud, they'll-"

"Make me into a monster?" Loki suggested with a cool smile as he set his drink down, "I am one Anthony."

"Now you stop that bull shit right now Loki. You and I both know that's total crap."

Loki smirked faintly, "You have forgiven me for my war with your race?"

Tony hesitated for only a moment, "Yeah…I have. I think the rest of the team has too."

"And… the rest of your world?" Loki asked, gesturing out the window, "They too have forgiven me for the thousands my war killed? The homes destroyed? The lives forever altered? Hm?"

Tony stuttered.

Loki picked his glass back up, "Let them make me into what I truly am Anthony. A monster."

"Loki, look, I thought we'd gotten past this… alright? You're not a…a monster. Not anymore."

Loki's smile was cruel, "I will always be a monster Anthony. It's in my nature." he looked away, "Do not fret for my sake over what this 'paparazzi' will do with my image, I am well-use to being hated."

"Come on, Loki…" Tony went to his side, tried to hold him. Loki didn't push away but he didn't lean into the touch either, "You're not anything like that."

"You have not heard of your Midgardian fable? The frog and the scorpion?" Loki's voice was even, "I am the scorpion Anthony."

"You haven't drowned me," Tony kissed at his neck.

Loki shook his head, "You are a blind idealist."

"Now, that's the first time anyone has ever called me that." Tony laughed weakly.

"You know I am right. Now please." Loki motioned to the phone, "Else that woman will simply appear and lecture us both."

Tony ran a hand over his face, sighing as Pepper called again. He groaned and took the call, "Alright… run with Loki's story. Call a conference tonight."

People crammed into the room and Tony grunted as Pepper adjusted the thick gauze they'd put over his neck to make the 'attack' look worse than it had been…also to cover the prominent hickey that Loki had left there. His arm had been put in a sling and a few fake scratches had been added to his face for effect.

"How do I look?" Tony smiled weakly at Pepper.

"You look like hell Tony." she sighed, "Now please…promise me you're going to just stick to the statement. Please? Just this once? For my sake?"

"Promise…Where's Loki?"

She shook her head, "He's in one of the side rooms with some SHIELD agents. We've got him muzzled and restrained. The reporters will only get a brief look at him being led away."

Tony nodded, "Alright, let's do this."

His face was grim as he headed to the podium. Camera flashes nearly blinded him and he felt suddenly like he had never done this before. He sighed and looked to his cards. "There has been some wild speculation about the photos taken after the Stark Expo last night and I would like to offer a short statement on what happened." He cleared his throat.

"Loki, who you all know, has been staying in my tower. It was deemed the most secure location for him because it cannot lose power, and has been developed to serve as his prison." he tugged at his collar, the gauze was itching the hell out of his neck.

"On the night the Stark Expo ended, a photographer caught a moment between myself and Loki… and…." he swallowed on the lie, "I would like to thank this person for saving my life… Her taking a photo distracted Loki long enough that I was able to escape from his attempt on my life."

There were a flurry of questions, but Tony ignored them, "That is all." he hurried from stage. He felt clammy and sick as he heard the uproar when Loki was taken by with SHIELD agents surrounding him.

Loki looked right in place, his eyes narrowed and dark, a cruelty in their depths as he watched the cameras go crazy around him. Tony suddenly realized that this, this hate was something Loki knew all about, knew how to handle. He was used to being hated, anticipated it, reveled in it. Tony felt his stomach churn uneasily at that thought.

Loki met Tony's eyes, held the gaze for just a moment before disappearing out of the room, cameras following him.

The next few days were torture. Article after article coming out about how Iron Man had nearly escaped death, about what punishment was going to be given to Loki. Protests broke out, people demanding Loki's return to Asgard. The god was called every name in the book and a few new terms were made up just for his sake.

Loki returned to the tower, no bells or whistles, just simply appeared while Tony was in the lab. Tony dropped what he was doing, moved to embrace Loki, "I'm sorry."

"Do not be so sentimental Anthony." Loki didn't return the embrace, "You were successful with your conference. There is no need for apologies."

"I'm sorry that you had to take the fall Loki…"

Loki's gaze was far away, "Anthony, I am well use to taking the fall."

"That's what I'm sorry for."

Loki smiled faintly, "Come… let us drink and forget this unpleasantness."

Tony nodded, letting Loki lead him to the bar and pour him a glass of scotch.

"Your paparazzi enjoy the story?" Loki asked.

"Oh please Loki, like you haven't been following this? Watching the news, reading everything you could find with your name on it?" Tony fumed, "You forget, Bruce is a buddy of mine… so while you two were hiding out he kept me up to date. Why the hell do you want to watch that shit?"

Loki swirled the scotch in his own glass, watching the liquid, "Why wouldn't I?"

"God, Loki, I am so tired of your self-hating bullshit-"

"And I tire of your lecturing on it." Loki cut him off.

"Yeah, well then we're on the same page cause I sure as hell don't enjoy giving them." Tony crossed his arms, "But seriously, can't you drop this…all this angsting bull shit?"

Loki sipped his drink, enjoying the burn, "Do you forgive yourself for the death of all those killed by your weapons?"

Tony flinched, and Loki smiled, "No? Why don't you just drop that… how did you so eloquently phrase it? … angsting bull shit?"

"Loki, that is a totally different-"

"I betrayed those that raised me, brought genocide to Jotunheim… I brought war to Midgard. No matter what you and your fragile emotions tells you I am, will always be," Loki finished his drink, "A monster."

Tony frowned, staring at his own drink, "Fine."

Loki arched a brow, "I beg your pardon?"

"Fine. Fine, you're a monster," he looked at Loki, "So am I."

"I hardly think-"

"You want to go by body counts? God knows how many people my weapons killed. How many people I've killed in the suit. How many people have died because of the suit."

Loki was speechless for the moment as Tony continued, "So you want to talk about that stupid fable? The one where the scorpion stabs his ride across a river and they both drown. Fine. But don't you for a second think that I'm some frog trying to drag your ass across anything. That is not in _my_ nature." He downed his drink, and slammed the glass down before walking over to the window.

Loki quietly went to refill both of their glasses, "Anthony?" he offered the glass to Tony who slowly accepted it.

"What?"

Loki rested his head on Tony's shoulder, "Can any of these scorpion creatures swim?"

Tony felt a smile tug at his lips, "No, don't think so."

Loki sighed, and closed his eyes, "Then we both are to drown?"

He turned to look at Loki, "Hey, no… See, you never know… maybe two scorpions can make it across the river without the dumbass frog."

Loki smiled, "I guess we will find out." He laced his fingers with Tony's and held fast against both their natures.


End file.
